Mental Health - We Need to Talk
Unfortunately that is not a guaranteed panacea either. One Friday had a major airbourne emergency where I wasn't assured of the outcome, attended a BBQ that night and the first and only beer didn't sit well. the following eighteen months were a downward spiral and visiting the doc in the interim complaining of assorted maladies achieved nothing, at the end of the eighteen months I could see why folk contemplate and take the step to suicide, not that I was so inclined. Told the good Lady to get me to hospital where they bombed me out and kept me in for three nights on suicide watch. Came good after four/five months and returned to flying.
When it was all over good Lady said that she knew something was up the weekend following the event as I kept taking showers. The thing that I couldn't get over was that how the emergency did me in whereas all the Vietnam action being shot up etc was just regarded as a day at the office, albeit exciting. Psychologist explained that each occasion you have a stressor it's like a thimble full of water in a glass, enough thimbles and the glass overflows. Found the civil psychologists at hand as helpful as a pocket in a singlet, the helpful chap was one specialising in ex military folk.
When it was all over good Lady said that she knew something was up the weekend following the event as I kept taking showers. The thing that I couldn't get over was that how the emergency did me in whereas all the Vietnam action being shot up etc was just regarded as a day at the office, albeit exciting. Psychologist explained that each occasion you have a stressor it's like a thimble full of water in a glass, enough thimbles and the glass overflows. Found the civil psychologists at hand as helpful as a pocket in a singlet, the helpful chap was one specialising in ex military folk.
Been there, done that, have several t-shirts ! 
As pointed out, logical consideration of the events versus the outcome/s does not scan ! The 'worm' is eating away in the mental background un-noted until the breaking point arrives - and then, it's all down to Lady Luck ! If, (and it's a BIG 'if') the needed help is at hand, recovery (some distance down the track) is possible and effective. Unfortunately, the Lady is, generally, in short supply.
Thank you, Megan
Without meaning to disparage any of the worthy comments that have gone before, I think it very naive to consider that an organisation (the RAF) that is apparently rife with misogyny, sexual harassment, bullying, cover ups, etc will deal effectively with mental heath issues.
How well individuals are treated in the RAF is very dependent on the quality of your chain of command - which is very variable. It's a bit of a lottery. But that no doubt applies to most organisations.
How is that Red Arrows investigation doing in the long grass?
How well individuals are treated in the RAF is very dependent on the quality of your chain of command - which is very variable. It's a bit of a lottery. But that no doubt applies to most organisations.
How is that Red Arrows investigation doing in the long grass?
Without meaning to disparage any of the worthy comments that have gone before, I think it very naive to consider that an organisation (the RAF) that is apparently rife with misogyny, sexual harassment, bullying, cover ups, etc will deal effectively with mental heath issues.
How well individuals are treated in the RAF is very dependent on the quality of your chain of command - which is very variable. It's a bit of a lottery. But that no doubt applies to most organisations.
How is that Red Arrows investigation doing in the long grass?
How well individuals are treated in the RAF is very dependent on the quality of your chain of command - which is very variable. It's a bit of a lottery. But that no doubt applies to most organisations.
How is that Red Arrows investigation doing in the long grass?
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And for some reason Mental Health First Aiders have been binned. You are not allowed to use your qualification if you have it! MHFAs were at least some people in the workplace who knew what to look for and had an 'interest' in mental health. We spend delightful hours each year learning how to plug a gunshot wound with a tampon, which I have no doubt has its uses but teaching people what mental illness is and how to recognise it in themselves and others should not be seen as an optional extra. I might be wrong but I am guessing we loose more people every year to suicide than we do to enemy fire. There have been some high profile stats from the Aussies:"It's devastating that Australia has lost more serving and former serving personnel to suicide than it has lost through operations over the last 20 years in Afghanistan and Iraq," Veterans Minister Matt Keogh said.
There have been more than 1,200 deaths by suicide among current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members since 2001.
A comparison of UK Ministry of Defence data on suicides since 1984 in the UK regular armed forces and UK Armed Forces Deaths: Operational deaths showed that, since 1984, some 905 serving members of the military killed themselves whilst serving compared to 802 deaths related to hostile actions.
Yup, not great for us either (and this doesn't include veterans), how much time do we spend on preventing deaths on operations? Maybe some of the time spent learning what ROCKETS stands for would be better spent elsewhere?
There have been more than 1,200 deaths by suicide among current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members since 2001.
A comparison of UK Ministry of Defence data on suicides since 1984 in the UK regular armed forces and UK Armed Forces Deaths: Operational deaths showed that, since 1984, some 905 serving members of the military killed themselves whilst serving compared to 802 deaths related to hostile actions.
Yup, not great for us either (and this doesn't include veterans), how much time do we spend on preventing deaths on operations? Maybe some of the time spent learning what ROCKETS stands for would be better spent elsewhere?
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There are no more courses being funded. Can't remember if there's a validity period, as with First Aid At Work.
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There was. CAS said there would be no further public comment, and rightly so. He has made a further internal statement which can be found on MODNET.
https://twitter.com/ChiefofAirStaff/...qFceyHcvA&s=19
https://twitter.com/ChiefofAirStaff/...qFceyHcvA&s=19
